North Dakota – Smith and Curran

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, North Dakota gets the Sip Advisor treatment. It has a number of nicknames, including Flickertail State and Roughrider State. Apparently, North Dakota is the least visited state in the country, so let’s try to change that.

Motto: “Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable” – I feel like this slogan could easily be shortened.

Food: Much of North Dakota’s cuisine is influenced by German and Norwegian dishes. This includes Knoephla (potato dumpling soup), Fleischkuekle (meat pie) and Lefse (flatbread). It should also be noted, most pasta in America is made from North Dakota’s durum wheat, so think of that the next time you’re carbo-loading.

Drink: There’s not a lot going on in the drink world for North Dakota. However, I did discover that the state was the last in the country to have a winery, when Pointe of View Winery began operating in Burlington, in 2002. Pointe of View uses many different fruits in their wines, including their award-winning Rhubarb Wine.

Wineries

Site to See: Theodore Roosevelt was greatly influential in the establishment of the U.S. National Park system. So, it should comes as no surprise that he is the only person to have a park named after him. Found in North Dakota’s badlands, where Roosevelt became the man who ended up leading the nation, the park is heavily visited, with scenic drives and hiking opportunities.

Street: The Enchanted Highway is a 32-mile route in Regent, featuring a number of scrap metal sculptures. Each installation along the way has an area allowing cars to stop. Artist Gary Greff created the sculptures and maintains them, including Geese in Flight, the world’s largest metal sculpture, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

TV Show: While the movie Fargo is named for North Dakota’s biggest city, it mostly takes place in Minnesota. The TV show adaptation spends far more time in North Dakota, with parts of the first two seasons taking place in the state. The fourth season of the series will air this fall, starring Chris Rock, and set in Kansas City, Missouri, in the 1950’s.

Movie: Leprechaun, best known for Jennifer Aniston’s film debut, sees a North Dakota man return home from a trip to Ireland, where he stole a leprechaun’s pot of gold. The leprechaun follows, looking for revenge, but is trapped in a four-leaf clover. When the Redding family moves to the farm 10 years later, hilarity and horror ensues, as the leprechaun is released.

Leprechaun

Book/Author: Western writer, Louis L’Amour, was born in Jamestown. Over his career, L’Amour wrote 89 novels, 14 collections of short stories and two non-fiction pieces, and was called “one of the world’s most popular writers”. Many of his works were adapted into film, with his most notable character being Hondo, played by the legendary John Wayne.

Fictional Character: Jay Gatsby, protagonist of The Great Gatsby novel and movie adaptations, is from North Dakota. The self-made millionaire is known for hosting lavish parties in New York City. Gatsby has been portrayed by actors such as Leonardo Di Caprio and Robert Redford in film, while Kirk Douglas played Gatsby in a radio adaptation broadcast.

Fictional City: Rock Springs is the setting of primetime soap opera Blood & Oil, which sees a young couple move to the North Dakota town following the largest discovery of oil in U.S. history. The series stars Don Johnson as an oil tycoon, but only lasted one season and 10 episodes (cut from an original order of 13 episodes).

Actor/Actress: Angie Dickinson, born in Kulm, enjoyed a six-decade long acting career, most notably as star of TV show Police Woman, for which she was nominated for three Emmys. Also, Josh Duhamel was born in Minot, remaining involved with his hometown, co-owning the restaurant 10 North Main. He has starred in four of the five films from the Transformers franchise.

Gatsby

Song: North Dakota by Tigirlilly, is an ode to the state that would make any citizen proud. Tigirlilly is comprised of sisters, Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, from the small town of Hazen. The pair, who have been writing and performing since they were preteens, are now pursuing their country music careers in Nashville, Tennessee.

Band/Musician: Rapper Wiz Khalifa was born in Minot. He is best known for songs such as Black and Yellow and Young, Wild & Free (with Snoop Dogg). There’s also barefoot guitarist Jonny Lang, born in Fargo, who has toured with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, and Sting. He won a 2007 Grammy for the album Turn Around.

People: From musician, to TV host, to business mogul, Lawrence Welk did it all. Born in Strasburg, Welk’s music career, as a big bang leader, led to him hosting The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. Using the TV show, Welk promoted his business properties, including Welk Resorts, with a handful of locations across North America.

Animal: The National Buffalo Museum, in Jamestown, was home to White Cloud (Mahpiya Ska in the Sioux language), a rare albino buffalo. White Cloud died in 2016, at the age of 19. Prior to passing, she had returned to her home herd. The White Cloud Days Festival is still celebrated, with her white calf Dakota Miracle taking over the role of feature attraction.

Lawrence Welk

Invention: The Cream of Wheat porridge mix was invented in Grand Forks, in 1893. It debuted at that year’s World’s Columbian Exposition. Cream of Wheat has been in the news recently, as products with black characters have come under fire. Rastus, a black chef, appears on Cream of Wheat packaging and in ads, although this is being reviewed by the company.

Crime: In 1920, Henry Layer nearly wiped out an entire family, using a shotgun and a hatchet, after an argument over a dog biting his cow. Seven members of the Wolf family (parents and five daughters), as well as a neighbour boy were all found dead. Only the Wolf’s youngest child, a nine-month-old daughter was spared. Layer was given a life sentence, dying in prison five years later.

Law: It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep in public with your shoes on. I’m not sure if wearing sandals is an issue and I’m assuming going barefoot makes everything okay. I hope they apply this law to babies and young children!

Sports Team: With no professional teams, the sporting void is filled by the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks and North Dakota State University Bison programs. When the school’s football squads meet, they battle for the Nickel Trophy. The Fighting Hawks men’s hockey team is also notable, having won eight national championships and many alum becoming NHL pros.

Cream of Wheat

Athlete: North Dakota’s most notable athletes weren’t born in the state, but were raised there. This includes home run machine Roger Maris, who held the MLB single-season record for homers for 37 years, and women’s mixed martial arts pioneer Ronda Rousey. Rousey is now enjoying a post-fighting career that includes professional wrestling and acting roles.

Famous Home: The Custer House, located in Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, is a reconstructed home of General George Custer, he of Custer’s Last Stand. Reconstructed or not, it’s said the ghost of Custer haunts the home, with visitors experiencing taps on their shoulder and objects moving. Other spirits may include Custer’s wife, soldiers who died in Custer’s charge and the distraught wives of those soldiers.

Urban Legend: The Legend of White Lady Lane takes place in Walhalla. The story goes, a young woman was murdered by the man who wished to marry her, when the girl’s mother forbid the arrangement. The woman can be seen, dressed in a white nightgown, near Eddie’s Bridge, perhaps searching for the man who killed her.

Museum: The Paul Broste Rock Museum, in Parshall, is hard to miss, given the site is built out of rocks. Broste wanted to showcase his collection of rocks, so he built the museum with Greece’s Parthenon in mind. The museum also houses Broste’s art works, including paintings, sculptures, illustrations, poems, and other pieces.

Rocks

Firsts: The first mosque in the U.S. was located in the remote town of Ross, with a population of around 100 people. Built in 1929, the small structure was used by Muslims who settled in the farming community. In 1979, the mosque was torn down, but was rebuilt in 2005, by one of the remaining families in the area.

Company: Mr. Bubble is America’s most popular bath product brand. The bubble bath was invented and distributed by North Dakota’s Gold Seal Company, until it was sold to Airwick Industries in 1986. Mr. Bubble has popped up in many TV shows and movies and even has its own holiday, first celebrated on the 50th anniversary of its original release.

Events: Two booms in North Dakota history helped increase the population of the state. This includes farming settlers arriving between 1879 and 1886, which brought 100,000 people north, and when oil drilling came to North Dakota in the 1970’s, which is paying off today, as North Dakota is the fastest growing state in the country.

Miscellaneous: Nobody knows for certain whether North Dakota is the 39th or 40th state. When both North and South Dakota were given statehood, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the signed admission papers around to leave things vague. North Dakota generally gets the nod as the 39th state, based on it being first alphabetically.

Smith and Curran

Smith and Curran

  • 2 oz Crème de Cacao
  • Top with Cream
  • Splash of Club Soda
  • Garnish with Chocolate Sprinkles

This dessert cocktail was created at the Blue Blazer Lounge in Bismarck. It was named for two oilmen who frequented the bar, Wendell Smith and James Curran. The drink is also known as a Smith and Kearns, with Curran’s last name being altered. A variation of the beverage uses Kahlua instead of Crème de Cacao.

North Carolina – The New Cherry Bounce

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we explore North Carolina. Nicknamed the Tar Heel State, it sounds like we might get a little dirty, so let’s tread carefully. Oh hell, a careful pace has never been my way… let’s jump right in:

Motto: “To be, rather than to seem” – That slogan is a real thinker…

Food: In North Carolina, it’s all about barbecue, with the subject extending into all realms of the state, even its politics. This is because there are two competing styles, Lexington and Eastern, with proponents of each wanting their favourite to be the official state method. Pig Pickin’ barbecues, using whole pigs, are a North Carolina tradition.

Drink: I’ve always preferred Pepsi over Coca-Cola, and I have Caleb Bradham of North Carolina to thank for the beverage. In 1893, the drugstore clerk created Brad’s Drink, renaming it Pepsi-Cola in 1898. Today, Pepsi is its own food and beverage conglomerate, while Bradham was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1923, returning to the pharmacy world.

Pepsi

Site to See: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the country. Found on North Carolina’s border with Tennessee, hiking and camping seem to be major attractions of the area. Other North Carolina destinations include Grandfather Mountain and its Mile-High Swinging Bridge and Chimney Rock State Park.

Street: The Blue Ridge Parkway, nicknamed ‘America’s favorite drive’, provides a scenic 469-mile route, connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Shenandoah National Park, in Virginia. Highlights of the North Carolina portion, include Daniel Boone’s Trace, Looking Glass Rock, the Devil’s Courthouse mountaintop and many other places of interest.

TV Show: The Andy Griffith Show ran for eight seasons and 249 episodes, followed by spinoff series Mayberry R.F.D. airing for an additional three seasons and 78 episodes. The made-for-TV movie Return to Mayberry served as a series finale, giving fans a chance to say goodbye to classic characters such as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Deputy Barney Fife and others.

Movie: The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen and Dakota Johnson, tells the story of a man with Down syndrome, who aspires to be a professional wrestler. He escapes from his assisted living facility, helped along on his journey by his social worker and a stranger he meets along the way. The movie was a sleeper hit and received mostly positive reviews.

Mayberry

Book/Author: William Sidney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was born in Greensboro. Porter was a short story writing machine, writing one each week for over a year during his most productive period. His most famous story is The Gift of the Magi, which has been adapted countless times. The O. Henry Award is given annually to the nation’s best short stories.

Fictional Character: Max Cady, villain of the movie Cape Fear, is one scary dude. Played by Robert Mitchum in the original and Robert De Niro in the remake, Cady will stop at nothing to get revenge on the lawyer who caused him to spend 14 years in prison for rape. For something lighter, there’s also Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. from Talladega Nights.

Fictional City: Mayberry, from The Andy Griffiths Show universe, is based on Mount Airy, the hometown of series star, Andy Griffiths. The innocent little town, where everyone knows each other, can make one pine for simpler times. Mayberry Days is an annual festival celebrated in Mount Airy and the town’s Andy Griffith Museum has a number of pieces from the classic show.

Actor/Actress: Zach Galifianakis, best known for his role as Alan, in The Hangover trilogy, was born in Wilkesboro. Galifianakis’ other credits, include voice work in the films Puss in Boots and The Lego Batman Movie, while his Between Two Ferns talk show won back-to-back Emmy Awards for Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program.

Song: Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor, was written while the singer was out of the country recording an album. The song is about his homesickness for North Carolina, where Taylor was raised. Taylor typically plays the track at his concerts and it has become an unofficial state song. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill uses the song extensively.

Band/Musician: This is a tough category to narrow down, with jazz legends Nina Simone, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk competing with country/bluegrass legends Earl Scruggs, Charlie Daniels and Randy Travis. Put them all together in a six-person steel cage match and I’m still not sure who emerges victorious, but the music will at least be good.

People: World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, was born in Pinehurst. McMahon is credited with revolutionizing professional wrestling, when he turned his company (then the World Wrestling Federation) into a national phenomenon. His menagerie of flashy characters, combined with high production values forever changed the industry.

Animal: Ham the Chimp, the first hominid sent into space, lived his final years at the North Carolina Zoo. Ham got his name from the acronym for the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, in New Mexico, which trained him for his 1961 mission. After dying, Ham’s remains were returned to New Mexico and buried at the International Space Hall of Fame.

Vince McMahon

Invention: North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park (RTP) can be credited with many great innovations. Among them, the Universal Product Code (barcode) found on merchandise in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australasia; Astroturf; cell phone technology advancements; LED lighting; and a potential HIV cure. RTP is the largest research park in the country.

Crime: Henry Louis Wallace (aka the Charlotte Strangler/Taco Bell Strangler) murdered 10 women in Charlotte, along with another victim in South Carolina. Most of his North Carolina victims were either friends or co-workers of his girlfriend or worked with him at Taco Bell. Wallace even attended a few of the funerals. He was sentenced to death and remains on death row.

Law: When a single man and single woman check into a hotel room together as a married couple, this makes them legally wed. Talk about an easy way to avoid expensive nuptials and all the drama that comes with it.

Sports Team: North Carolina has three professional teams, with the Panthers (NFL) and Hurricanes (NHL), as well as the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. Also, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke University Blue Devils rivalry is a among the best in college basketball, while the NASCAR Hall of Fame can be found in Charlotte, where the racing series first ran in 1949.

nascar

Athlete: North Carolina was selected as site of the NASCAR Hall of Fame due to its long and storied history in racing. That includes being the home state of driver Richard Petty, who holds the record for NASCAR wins with 200. This earned him the nickname The King. Dale Earnhardt Sr. and son Dale Earnhardt Jr., are also natives of North Carolina.

Famous Home: The Biltmore Estate, a 255-room mansion, in Asheville, is the largest home in the country. On the grounds, visitors can also find beautiful gardens, shopping and dining options and even a winery. Asheville is also known for its many craft breweries, with the area having the most breweries per capita in the U.S.

Urban Legend: Roanoke Colony was the first American settlement established by England. It is also known as the Lost Colony because when its governor, John White, left for England and returned nearly three years later, everyone was gone. The only trace of them was the word “croatoan” carved into a tree. Were they massacred by Native American tribes? Did they join those same groups? The debate rages on.

Museum: The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, found in Hatteras Village, documents the long history of shipwrecks to take place along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. More than 600 vessels have been lost in the area, including Blackbeard’s infamous pirate ship Queen Anne’s Revenge. Also on display is a German Enigma machine from a sunken submarine.

Roanoke

Firsts: As a fan of the game, it bears mentioning the first mini golf course was opened in Pinehurst, in 1916, by James Barber. When he completed his course, set amongst gardens and fountains, the story goes Barber looked at his creation and said, “This’ll do.” The course was named Thistle Dhu, as a result. Putt-Putt golf was also established in North Carolina.

Company: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts was founded in 1937, in Winston-Salem, where it is headquartered today. The business was launched by Vernon Rudolph, after purchasing a recipe from a New Orleans chef. Annually, the Krispy Kreme Challenge sees competitors run five miles, eat a dozen doughnuts, then return, all in under an hour. The event benefits the North Carolina Children’s Hospital.

Events: North Carolina license plates read “First In Flight”, because the Wright Brothers – Orville and Wilbur – completed the first motor-operated airplane flight in the state, in 1903. To commemorate their achievement, the Wright Brothers National Memorial was erected in Kill Devil Hills. There’s also a replica of the brother’s hangar at the site.

Miscellaneous: Christmas Town USA takes place each year in the small town of McAdenville (population 651, as of the 2010 census). Starting in 1956, the entire suburb is decorated with Christmas lights, drawing an estimated 600,000 vehicles to visit annually. The attraction is ranked as one of the country’s best holiday light displays.

The New Cherry Bounce

The New Cherry Bounce

  • 1.5 oz Cherry Whiskey
  • Top with Cranberry Juice
  • Splash of Lime Juice
  • Splash of Club Soda
  • Garnish with a Cherry

The Cherry Bounce – created at the legendary Isaac Hunter’s Tavern in Raleigh and a favourite beverage of George Washington – is a consensus choice for a North Carolina cocktail, but it basically just takes cherries, sugar and a base alcohol and let’s them blend together for a period of time. Therefore, I went with this serve-when-needed variation, subbing whiskey for vodka.

New York – Five Boroughs Cocktails

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we hit the bigtime, New York. There’s so much going on in the Empire State that a lot of categories will be filled with options. So, let’s take a bite out of the Big Apple and see how it tastes:

Motto: “Excelsior (Ever upward)” – And spinning… constantly spinning!

Food: As far as the Sip Advisor is concerned, the complete meal of New York-created foods is a Club Sandwich with side Potato Chips, finished with a slice of New York Cheesecake for dessert. Other creations worth mentioning include Buffalo Wings, Eggs Benedict, Chicken and Waffles, Waldorf Salad, Red Velvet Cake, and even Jell-O.

Drink: There is a cocktail for each of the five boroughs that make up New York City. This includes The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island Ferry drinks. New York can also be credited with the Long Island Iced Tea, Penicillin, Cosmopolitan, Martini, Appletini, Bloody Mary, Tom Collins, and New York Sour beverages.

Club Sandwich

Site to See: When Mrs. Sip and I were in New York City for far too short of a visit, we tried to see as much as we could. Our stops included Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Garden, Central Park, and Grand Central Station. Outside of New York City, Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the country.

Street: Three industry hubs (financial, advertising, theatrical) can be found along New York City streets. First, Wall Street is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the largest in the world. Second, numerous ad agencies call Madison Avenue home, used as the setting for TV show Mad Men. Finally, Broadway is the epicenter of American theatre, with playhouses lining the route.

TV Show: The next time I’m in New York, I plan to take a TV show tour, given all the great shows that have been set in the state. These include Seinfeld, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, All in the Family, The King of Queens, Taxi, Law & Order, Sex and the City, and I Love Lucy.  Shows that can’t be toured, but deserve mention, include Futurama, Saturday Night Live, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sesame Street.

Movie: Another tough category to narrow down, I have to go with one of my all-time favourites, It’s a Wonderful Life. Starring Jimmy Stewart, this story of truly appreciating what you have, has become a Christmas classic, shown every holiday season. Honourable mentions include the Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchises, as well as The Warriors.

Wonderful Life

Book/Author: So many comic books are set in New York, including the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Dr. Strange. All of these entries share the common thread that each was created or co-created by New Yorker Stan Lee. Lee is also responsible for other popular characters, such as the X-Men, Thor, Hulk, Black Panther, and Ant-Man.

Fictional Character: As a child, the Sip Advisor loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and movies. The heroes in a half shell dwelled in the sewers of the New York City, being trained in martial arts by Splinter, before being required to save the city and world from evildoers. Associates of the Turtles, such as reporter April O’Neil and vigilante Casey Jones are also New Yorkers.

Fictional City: Riverdale, setting of the Archie Comics universe, is generally thought to be located in New York. This means the nearby towns of Greendale (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and Midvale (Josie and the Pussycats) are also likely in the state. The earliest Archie Comics reference the real-life Bronx neighbourhood Riverdale, but this changed as the series progressed.

Actor/Actress: A number of today’s A-list stars were born in New York. Among them, are Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Scarlet Johansson, Al Pacino, and Denzel Washington. A couple legends of the big and small screen also called the state home, including Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Kirk Douglas and Mickey Rooney.

Stan Lee

Song: This category is down to two choices: New York, New York by Frank Sinatra and Empire State of Mind by Jay Z and Alicia Keys. Both are fitting anthems for New York City, as well as the rest of the state. I guess it all depends on your preferred style of music. If you don’t like either, artists such as Billy Joel and The Beastie Boys also have New York-based tracks.

Band/Musician: Another category filled with great options. I’ll go with The Ramones, as one of the first punk rock groups and revolutionaries for that style. Although not related, band members all adopted the last name Ramone. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

People: Women’s rights icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was born in Brooklyn. After a lengthy legal career, she was appointed to U.S. Supreme Court, in 1993. Nicknamed The Notorious R.B.G., Ginsburg was the subject of the 2018 biographical film, On the Basis of Sex, starring Felicity Jones. There’s even been a Sam Adams beer released in her honour.

Animal: After a history of incidents, including killing a circus spectator, Topsy the Elephant was sentenced to death by hanging, as part of a publicity stunt. The ASPCA objected to the public event (with admission to be charged), but eventually allowed for Topsy to be hung, poisoned and electrocuted. Footage of the 1903 execution exists, recorded by the Thomas Edison’s film company.

RBG

Invention: George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, patented the first film roll in 1884, which was eventually used with his Kodak Black camera, developed in 1888. His film also became the standard used for early motion pictures. The George Eastman Museum, in Rochester, is the oldest photography museum in the world, with an extensive film archive.

Crime: A few significant assassinations have taken place in New York, including the murders of U.S. President William McKinley, civil rights activist Malcolm X and musician John Lennon. McKinley was shot as he appeared at the 1901 Pan-American Expo. Malcolm X was swarmed by three members of the Nation of Islam, wounded 21 times. Lennon was killed outside his home by a man he had earlier signed an autograph for.

Law: In New York, it’s illegal to talk to a stranger in an elevator. There goes all that awkward small talk with people. I kind of hope this law has legs and spread outside the state.

Sports Team: New York City is a busy sporting hub with teams such as the Yankees and Mets (MLB), Knicks and Nets (NBA) and Islanders and Rangers (NHL). Buffalo also has a couple teams in the Bills (NFL) and Sabres (NHL). Although named New York, both the Jets and Giants (NFL) play in New Jersey. There’s also a ton of NCAA sports going on across the state.

Film

Athlete: Two of basketballs greatest players of all-time were born in New York City boroughs. Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were dominant athletes, winning six NBA Championships each. There’s also controversial boxer and ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’, Mike Tyson, the youngest fighter to ever win a heavyweight title.

Famous Home: There are a number of New York landmarks related to former U.S. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and his cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill estate were homes to Teddy at opposite ends of his life. Meanwhile, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, in Hyde Park, is where FDR hosted his famous fireside chats.

Urban Legend: In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six of his family members, in their Amityville home. A year later, the Lutz family moved into the home and began experiencing paranormal activity. These events inspired The Amity Horror franchise, with much debate over the authenticity of the Lutz’s accounts. The home still stands, although the address was changed to discourage visitors.

Museum: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, in Cooperstown, is a mecca for baseball lovers. Built in 1939, by the heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, exhibits today include Baseball at the Movies, One for the Books (about records set by players and teams), a walkthrough history of the sport, the Hall of Fame plaque gallery, and many others.

Mike Tyson

Firsts: The first pizzeria in the U.S. opened in New York City, in 1905. Lombardi’s Pizza still operates today, but was closed at one point for 10 years, before moving a block away from the original location. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the pizzeria first opening, pizzas were sold for only 5 cents, the price of a pie (they don’t sell slices) in 1905.

Company: All the major TV networks are headquartered in New York City, including ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. Top cable channels, such as HBO and Comedy Central also call NYC home. This, along with the city having some of the top newspapers, publishing houses and record companies, has led to it being called the media capital of the world.

Events: When two planes were flown into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the world stood still. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for what was later dubbed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which also included a plane crashing into the Pentagon and another into a field in Pennsylvania. All tolled, 2,977 people were killed, with a further 25,000 injured.

Miscellaneous: The ‘I Love New York’ (I ❤ NY) campaign, was launched in 1977, to bring attention to the state’s tourism industry. It included the famous slogan, logo and a song. ‘I Love New York’ has become the State Slogan and the logo – created by graphic designed, Milton Glaser, using a red crayon, while riding in a taxi – can be seen on all matters of souvenirs.

Five Boroughs 2

The Bronx

  • 2 oz Gin
  • 0.25 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 0.25 oz Dry Vermouth
  • Top with Orange Juice
  • Garnish with an Orange Twist

Brooklyn

  • 1 oz Whiskey
  • 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 0.25 oz Maraschino Liqueur
  • Dash of Angostura Bitters
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Manhattan

  • 2 oz Whiskey
  • 0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • Dashes of Angostura Bitters
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Queens

  • 1 oz Gin
  • 1 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • Top with Pineapple Juice
  • Garnish with a Lime Wheel

Staten Island Ferry

  • 2 oz Coconut Rum
  • Top with Pineapple Juice
  • Garnish with a Pineapple Wedge/Coconut Shavings

There are so many cocktail options from the state of New York and I felt doing all five New York City boroughs cocktails was the best solution. For those keeping track, that meant 12 ounces of booze needed to be consumed, so you can bet the Sip Advisor enjoyed the experiment.

Sip Trips #187: August Arising

Posted on by
Reply

To kick off August, along with its traditional long weekend, the Sip Family got out and about, hitting five breweries over the break. That put Baby Sip at 18 breweries visited and Toddler Sip at a whopping 87. It helped that I took a few days off from work to extend the time away. We were busy, so let’s get right to the program:

Once worked wrapped up on the Friday before the long weekend, we set off to Patina Brewing in Port Coquitlam. Opened earlier this year, they don’t have many beers yet, but that is secondary to their delicious menu of barbecue foods. We gorged ourselves on pulled pork, beef brisket, skinny fries, and corn bread, with Mrs. Sip also ordering their seasoned popcorn. To drink, we put together a flight of Patina’s Stout, Double IPA and Juicy IPA, finished with Wildeye Brewing’s Hazy Pale Ale.

Cat BBQ

On the holiday Monday, we returned to Port Coquitlam to visit Northpaw Brewing. Our flight there, consisted of the Howay the Lads Brown Ale, Jamaican Pale Ale, C.R.E.A.M.-Sicle Orange Cream Shandy and Blueberry Kettle Sour. We worked our way through the flight by the time our order of Jamaican Patties (veggie, chicken, beef) arrived, so also got a pint of the Love Movement Milkshake IPA. This pairing was very good, as the patties were delicious – my favourite was the beef one – and the beer was quite refreshing in the hot weather.

Next up, was Foamers’ Folly Brewing in Pitt Meadows. I’ve always wanted to go here and now that I know it’s actually closer than I believed it to be, want to return very soon. Mrs. Sip and I elected to have two flights, given the expansive choice of beers. Our sets included the Uncultured Belgian Ale, Yarrow Hefeweizen, Lavender Earl Grey ESB, S’morter Porter (Nitro), Culeko Cucumber Lemongrass Kolsch, Rosemary ISA, Smoked Apiary Dunkelweizen, and Blackberry Lemoncello Sour Ale. My favourites were the Kolsch and ISA, both of which had nice notes of their advertised flavours. To go, we picked up a bomber of Amaretto Wild Sour Ale and a tall can of Wide Mouth Watermelon Wheat Ale.

The next day, we ventured to North Vancouver. First up, was Bridge Brewing, where another flight was in order, comprised of their Blueberry Pie Sour, Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale, Side Kick Hazy Pale Ale and White Water Belgian IPA. Looking to have lunch, as well, we got the Taco Trio (pork, veggie, chicken), with the pork taco being a highlight, thanks to its pineapple accompaniment.

Tacos

Deciding to make our way back closer to home as it was a very hot day, we popped into the nearby Wildeye Brewing and really enjoyed our stop there. Another brewery, another flight, resulted in trying their Strawberry Cardamom Gose, After the Rain Hefeweizen, Choppy Waters Hazy IPA and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Stout. The Gose was my preferred brew here, with the Hef being a close runner up.

If that was just the start of the month, the rest of it should surely bear some great fruit. Mrs. Sip is hard at work planning a mini vacation for our clan, likely to Whistler, where we will enjoy breweries both there and en route to/from in Squamish. We will also celebrate our wedding anniversary in Downtown Vancouver and with the Sip Kids with Ma and Pa Sip, there will surely be some shenanigans.

New Mexico – Chimayó Cocktail

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we journey to New Mexico, to check out the Land of Enchantment, which sounds like something Disney should have copyrighted for their theme parks. Will this trip be just as magical? Let’s find out:

Motto: “It grows as it goes” – Perhaps the state’s mascot should be the Hungry Caterpillar.

Food: New Mexicans use chiles on and in everything from pizza and burgers to apple pie and ice cream. They even have a State Question: “Red or green?”, referring to either Red or Green Chile Sauce. When mixed together, this creates Christmas Sauce, which can be used on a variety of New Mexico favourites. Finish with a Biscochito Cookie and you’re feeling pretty good.

Drink: The Blue Sky Beverage Company was founded in Santa Fe, in 1971. Makers of all-natural soft drinks, Blue Sky is now owned by Coca-Cola. As a possible nod to the company, Blue Sky was the name of the crystal meth produced in TV show Breaking Bad (much more on that subject later). Also, Santa Fe Brewing Company was the state’s first craft brewery and is now its largest beer producer.

Red or Green

Site to See: Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to more than a hundred caves, although only three are open to the public. The main event of the trio, Carlsbad Caverns, was actually first explored by a teenager, in 1898, who named many of the rooms visitors see today. Over 400,000 people, on average, visit the park annually.

Street: Central Avenue, in Albuquerque, is one of the most important streets in the state. It was once part of the famous Route 66, during that highway’s lifespan. Today, notable attractions on the route include the KiMo Theatre, First National Bank Building, University of New Mexico main campus and Expo New Mexico, which hosts the New Mexico State Fair.

TV Show: The Breaking Bad universe, which also includes prequel Better Call Saul, is set in Albuquerque. Starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad has been called one of the greatest TV shows of all-time with Better Call Saul continuing that mantle. Combined, the shows will have run for 11 seasons, with Breaking Bad earning 16 Emmy Awards.

Movie: The Dollars Trilogy includes A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Starring Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name, the Spaghetti Westerns (a style which was popularized by these films) are ranked among the best Western movies of all-time. They were not intended to be a trilogy, but the unnamed Eastwood character connected the dots.

Walter White

Book/Author: Written by Melinda Metz, the Roswell High series of young adult books follows three alien teenagers as they live amongst the human world. The series of 10 books were adapted into the TV show Roswell, which aired for three seasons (1999-2002) and was recently rebooted for another run, beginning in 2019.

Fictional Character: The characters of the Breaking Bad universe, most notably Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and Saul Goodman, have remained favourites of TV viewers, earning Saul his own prequel series and Jesse a sequel movie. Walter is generally regarded as one of the greatest TV characters ever, helped by the performance by Bryan Cranston.

Fictional City: With nothing particularly notable for this category, I wanted to share the story of Truth or Consequences, perhaps the greatest name for a city ever. Previously known as Hot Springs, the city changed its moniker as part of a contest run by the Truth or Consequences radio show, earning the right for the show to be aired from there on its 10th anniversary.

Actor/Actress: For a time, Demi Moore (born in Roswell) was the highest-paid actress ever, earning $12.5 million for the movie Striptease. That role capped a successful run of films, which included Ghost, A Few Good Men and Indecent Proposal. Also, Neil Patrick Harris, best known as womanizer Barney Stinson on the TV show How I Met Your Mother, was born in Albuquerque.

NPH

Song: O Fair New Mexico by Elizabeth Garrett (daughter of Sheriff Pat Garrett… more on him later), has been the State Song of New Mexico since 1917. There’s also a State Cowboy Song, Under the New Mexico Skies by Syd Masters, as well as a State Bilingual Song, New Mexico – Mi Lindo Nuevo Mexico by Pablo Mares. Combined, there’s a lot of options.

Band/Musician: John Denver was born in Roswell. He is best remembered for songs such as Take Me Home, Country Roads; Rocky Mountain High and Thank God I’m a Country Boy. Sadly, Denver died in a plane crash in 1997, at the age of 53. For the younger folks out there, Demi Lovato was born in Albuquerque, getting her break with the Disney franchise Camp Rock.

People: Amazon founder, President and CEO, Jeff Bezos, was born in Albuquerque. What began as an online bookstore, run out of Bezos’ garage, with a large investment from his parents, has turned into the biggest online retailer, making Bezos the richest man in the world and its first centi-billionaire. Bezos bought the Washington Post for $250 million… cash!

Animal: Smokey Bear was created by the U.S. Forest Service to warn people of the danger of forest fires. In 1950, a living symbol of the mascot was found in New Mexico’s Capitan Mountains, when a black bear cub was rescued from a tree as he avoided a blaze. Smokey Bear lived the rest of his life at Washington, D.C.’s National Zoo, with his remains returned to Capitan and buried at Smokey Bear Historical Park.

Jeff Bezos

Invention: New Mexico has been credited, or at least claimed, to be the inventors of two culinary items, the Breakfast Burrito and Frito Pie. The breakfast burrito first appeared on a menu in 1975, at Tia Sophia’s, in Santa Fe. The Frito Pie (corn chips, topped with chili and cheese inside the Frito bag) also comes from Santa Fe, where it was served at the Woolworth’s diner, in the 1960’s.

Crime: David Parker Ray (aka the Toy-Box Killer) is thought to have murdered as many as 60 women. His “toy-box” was a sound-proofed truck trailer, which he used to kidnap, torture, rape and presumably murder his victims. No bodies were ever discovered, but Ray was convicted of kidnapping and torture in 2001. He died a year later of a heart attack.

Law: The infamous McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit was filed in New Mexico after 79-year-old Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns to her groin area when she spilled coffee. Obviously, coffee is hot, but the case arose from McDonald’s being warned repeatedly about the temperature of their drink. Liebeck was awarded $2.86 million, which was lowered to $640,000. She spent eight days in hospital, followed by further treatment for two years.

Sports Team: With no professional teams, college sports are the top game in the state. The University of New Mexico Lobos and New Mexico State University Aggies compete in a variety of sports, most notably their football programs, known as the Rio Grande Rivalry. There’s also the Albuquerque Isotopes Triple-A baseball team, which is named for The Simpsons episodes involving a similar squad.

Breakfast Burrito

Athlete: The Unser racing family, consisting of Al Sr., Bobby and Al Jr., are based in Albuquerque. Combined, those three won nine Indy 500 races and have each been inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. A series of successful racing video games were developed in the early to mid 1990’s, featuring Al Jr.

Famous Home: One of the oldest buildings in the country, the De Vargas Street House (aka the Oldest House), can be found in Santa Fe. Researchers believe the structure dates back to the 1600’s. Another impressive site, thought to be among the oldest continuously inhabited communities, is the Taos Pueblo settlement, built between 1000 and 1450.

Urban Legend: In 1947, a U.S. Army Air Forces balloon crashed near Roswell. Dubbed the Roswell UFO Incident, many people believe the object that had fallen out of the sky was actually an alien craft and a government conspiracy is covering up the truth. More recent interest in the event was sparked by an alien autopsy film, released in 1995 and revealed to be a hoax a decade later.

Museum: On July 14, 1881, legendary outlaw, William ‘Billy the Kid’ Bonney, was finally tracked down and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, in Fort Sumner. The Billy the Kid Museum can now be found there, featuring artifacts from the young gunslinger’s assassination, as well as articles belonging to him. Billy the Kid was only 21 years old when he died.

Roswell

Firsts: For better or worse, the Atomic Bomb was developed in New Mexico, as part of the Manhattan Project. Code named Trinity, the first detonation of such a bomb took place in Alamogordo, on July 16, 1945. Weeks later, similar bombs were dropped on Japan, leading to the end of World War II. The test site is now a National Historic Landmark.

Company: With no recognizable companies to me, it should be noted that Microsoft was founded in Albuquerque, in 1975. Founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen moved the company to Seattle in 1979, to better attract developers. For more New Mexico flavour, convenience store chain Allsup’s was founded in Roswell, in 1956, and now has over 300 stores across New Mexico and Texas.

Events: During the 1898 Spanish-American War, fighters from New Mexico impressed Teddy Roosevelt so much, he began campaigning to have the territory become a U.S. state. New Mexico impressed once again during World War II, when Navajo code talkers used their language to get messages past the enemy. It’s the only military code to never be deciphered.

Miscellaneous: New Mexico is host to the largest air balloon festival in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The event runs for nine days each October and features 500 air balloons filling the sky. As a result of the festival’s success, New Mexico’s State Aircraft is the hot air balloon and the state is known as the Balloon Capital of the World.

Chimayó Cocktail

Chimayo Cocktail

  • 1.5 oz Tequila
  • 0.25 oz Crème de Cassis
  • Top with Apple Cider
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Garnish with Apple Slices

Created in 1965, by Arturo Jaramillo, owner of the Rancho de Chimayó restaurant, in Chimayó, the drink has become the eatery’s signature beverage. The story goes that Jaramillo was looking for a way to use apple crops, which are bountiful in his part of the state, and this was the happy result.

New Jersey – Garden State Cocktail

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we venture to New Jersey. Although some call it the “Armpit of America,” we’ll reserve judgment. After all, it’s been nicknamed the Garden State for a reason. Let’s find out why:

Motto: “Liberty and Prosperity” – I particularly like that second one and the first one ain’t so bad either.

Food: The Pork Roll (aka Taylor Ham) is usually eaten in slices as part of a sandwich, but can also be used in a hash, called a Jersey Breakfast. John Taylor, from Hamilton Square, popularized the meat product in 1856. There are competing festivals celebrating the Pork Roll, both in Trenton. Add a side of Disco Fries (topped with cheese and gravy) and you’ve got yourself a complete meal.

Drink: Laird’s Applejack (apple brandy) was first produced in New Jersey, all the way back in 1698. It was originally known as Jersey Lightning, which is a name I think they should have kept. Laird & Company is based in Scobeyville, calling themselves America’s Oldest Distiller.

Pork Roll

Site to See: Two sites that highlight American freedom can be found in New Jersey, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island is the spot were countless immigrants first touched American soil, as the busiest inspection station in the country. Meanwhile, Lady Liberty is situated on land shared by New Jersey and New York and surrounded by New Jersey waters.

Street: The Atlantic City Boardwalk is a major tourist attraction in New Jersey. It is the first American boardwalk, opened on June 26, 1870, and the longest boardwalk in the world. There’s a lot going on along the boardwalk, including casinos, hotels, museums, shopping, restaurants, and much more. A number of movies and TV series have used the boardwalk for filming.

TV Show: The Sopranos, starring James Gandolfini, was one of the most popular TV shows of all-time, documenting the activities of the DiMeo crime family. The crime drama, which ran for six seasons and 86 episodes, was largely filmed in New Jersey, using real shops, restaurants and even a strip club to double for locations in the series.

Movie: Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse movies are all set in New Jersey. That includes films such as Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. That all makes sense, given Smith is New Jersey native, himself. Top actors like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have appeared in multiple films, as a variety of characters, throughout the series.

Sopranos

Book/Author: George R.R. Martin, writer of the epic fantasy saga A Song of Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones when adapted for TV) was born in Bayonne. At 71 years old, many fans wonder if the series will ever be finished on page, but at least we got – for better or worse – some closure with the TV series. Either way, Martin has made his money.

Fictional Character: The general consensus is that animated adult comedy, Bob’s Burgers, is set in New Jersey. Therefore, I will put the Belcher Family here. The clan includes parents and restauranteurs Bob and Linda, along with mischief-making kids Tina, Gene and Louise. Their antics have led to the show winning two Outstanding Animated Program Emmys.

Fictional City: Gotham City is said to be located in New Jersey, meaning the Batman universe takes place there. While it’s certainly not a place many would want to live, given its extremely high crime rate, corruption at all levels and the threat of death at every turn, Gotham City has remained a popular locale for fans of the franchise.

Actor/Actress: One of the world’s most celebrated actresses, Meryl Streep, was born in Summit. Streep has won three Oscars, based on 21 nominations, with her career as a whole recognized with an American Film Institute Life Achievement Award, Presidential Medal of Freedom and Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. Other famous New Jerseyans, include Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, and Bruce Willis.

George R.R. Martin

Song: New Jersey doesn’t have a State Song, but that was not because of a lack of effort from one musician. In fact, his campaigning may have worked against him. I’m From New Jersey by Red Mascara was almost made the State Song in 1972, passed by the Legislature, but vetoed by the Governor. Mascara continued the push for his song up until his death.

Band/Musician: New Jersey is the home of so many music legends. Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Frankie Valli, Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra all hail from the state. I saw something that said Springsteen had at least 25 songs with references about New Jersey, which sounds about right, given his extensive music catalogue.

People: Domestic goddess, Martha Stewart, was born in Jersey City. Her media empire has included TV shows, books, magazines, and other projects, making her a household name as a household saviour. Also, travel and food writer, Anthony Bourdain, was raised in Leonia. He came to prominence thanks to the shows No Reservations and Parts Unknown.

Animal: Kids and adults alike love dinosaurs. These beasts from long ago have fascinated many and the first nearly complete skeleton of a dinosaur was discovered in Haddonfield, in 1858. The Hadrosaurus (New Jersey’s State Fossil) find launched the field of paleontology and is memorialized with a eight-foot dinosaur statue in downtown Haddonfield.

Martha Stewart

Invention: Thomas Edison’s lab in Menlo Park is the site where he developed light bulbs, phonographs, motion pictures, and other items. Edison was called the ‘Wizard of Menlo Park’ and he held 1,093 patents in the US alone. Edison State Park now encompasses the site of his lab and a memorial tower and museum dedicated to the inventor.

Crime: There are some alarming crimes from New Jersey history, but when one is called the “Crime of the Century,” you have to profile it. In 1932, aviator Charles Lindbergh’s 20-month-old son was abducted, with a ransom note left behind. Despite an exchange of money, the baby’s remains were found two months after the kidnapping. Richard Hauptmann was convicted of the crime and executed by electric chair in 1936.

Law: I’m not sure how this one is going over nowadays, but in New Jersey, it is illegal to frown at a cop. That must make recent protests a little awkward. Even worse, in Bernards Township, it is completely illegal to frown. This will turn your frown upside down, though. It is illegal for birds to poop on statues… finally, people who hate birds as much as I do.

Sports Team: The New Jersey Devils (NHL) are the only professional team to carry the ‘New Jersey’ name, following the New Jersey Nets (NBA) leaving for Brooklyn in 2012, after 35 seasons. New York-named teams the Jets and Giants (NFL), as well as Red Bulls (MLS), play out of the state, commonly referred to as the New York Metropolitan Area.

Thomas Edison

Athlete: Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal had a career filled with championships, including four NBA titles and an Olympic gold medal. O’Neal transcended the sport, starring in movies and video games. Likewise, shortstop Derek Jeter was a five-time World Series champion and 14-time all-star. In 2020, Jeter was one vote shy of being unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Famous Home: The Grover Cleveland Birthplace, in Caldwell, is a museum and National Historic Place dedicated to the only person from New Jersey to become U.S. President. Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th Commander-in-Chief (the only politician to ever serve non-consecutive terms), although he won the popular vote for all three elections which he ran.

Urban Legend: The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature with a horse head, bat wings, horns, clawed hands, and cloven hooves, said to be found in the Pine Barrens area of the state. The being was the 13th child of a witch (with the father being the devil), who cursed it after learning she was pregnant. It is now the moniker of the current NHL franchise.

Museum: The United States Golf Association (USGA) Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History is located in Far Hills. The USGA began collecting items in the late 1930’s, finally opening a facility in New York, in 1951. The collection was moved to New Jersey in 1972 and now offers the Pynes Putting Course, a nine-hole course where visitors can use classic replica putters.

Jersey Devil

Firsts: New Jersey has hosted a number of firsts in the sporting world. This included the first officially recorded organized baseball game (June 19, 1846 in Hoboken), the first college football game (November 6, 1869 in New Brunswick) and the first professional basketball game (November 7, 1896 in Trenton). The first American brewery was also established in Hoboken, in 1642.

Company: The Campbell Soup Company is headquartered in Camden. Along with its soup, Campbell’s is also responsible for brands such as Pepperidge Farm, Prego and Swanson. Another well-known New Jersey-based company is retail chain Bed Bath & Beyond, which was founded in Springfield and is now based in Union.

Events: More battles during the American Revolutionary War took place in New Jersey than any other colony, earning the state the nickname the ‘Crossroads of the Revolution’. The Battle of Trenton and Battle of Princeton were major victories for General George Washington and his troops, turning the tide against British forces.

Miscellaneous: Two infamous incidents, the Burr-Hamilton Duel and Hindenburg Disaster, occurred in New Jersey. First, on July 11, 1804, Vice-President Aaron Burr wounded former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, capping their long feud. This rivalry was turned into the hit musical Hamilton. Later, on May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg airship caught fire and crashed, while docking at the Naval Air Station Lakehurst.

Garden State Cocktail

Garden State Cocktail

  • 1 oz Cucumber Vodka
  • 0.25 oz Elderflower Liqueur
  • Top with Bubbly
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Dash of Simple Syrup
  • Garnish with a Cucumber Slice

This cocktail honours New Jersey’s nickname of Garden State by using ingredients such as cucumber. The term Garden State is often attributed to Abraham Browning, who noted that New Jersey is a barrel with good things to eat and open at both ends, helping to feed Pennsylvania on one side and New York on the other.

Sip Trips #186: Summer Sizzle

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been a while since I did an update on our adventures and we now have Baby Sip up to 13 brewery visits, so there’s lots to talk about. Without further adieu, let’s get right to it:

Our recent activity began in late June, with a visit to Langley’s Five Roads Brewing. There, Mrs. Sip and I split a flight of beers, consisting of their Double Whammy Passionfruit Mango Sour, Harry Porter, Worlds Collide Sour IPA and Do You Even Sk8 Bro? Sour Saison. I also tried a sip of the Jordy Mac’s Work Hard Play Hard ESB off of Cousin Sip’s flight. It was nice to sit outside and enjoy some nice weather after a fairly dreary month.

Following the beers, we were off for dinner at Annora, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I ordered the three-course set menu, choosing prawns with chorizo and risotto as my appetizer; duck with mashed potatoes and vegetables as my main and a chocolate brownie for dessert. The meal was fantastic, all paired with a serving of Red Truck Round Trip Amber Ale and we look forward to going back and trying some other options soon. Their happy hour offerings look particularly good.

happy-hour

For a nightcap, we popped into Farm Country Brewing, sharing another flight. This set was made up of their Whippersnapper Kellerbier, Hootenanny DDH Pale Ale, Slam Dunkel and Countryside Apricot Peach Kettle Sour. I liked the space at this brewery and enjoyed their flight coming out in a bucket. We also took home a tall can four-pack of their Strawberry Rhubarb Kettle Sour, which I really enjoyed.

For Canada Day, en route to Ma and Pa Sip’s place, we stopped at Central City Brewing for a drink. While Mrs. Sip ordered The Mangolorian Ale, I had a glass of the Hazy Dreamer Hazy Pale Ale. For Canada Day celebrations, I went through a pack from Red Truck Brewing, highlighted by the Seas the Day Pineapple Hefeweizen.

A couple weeks back, we visited ABC Brewing and lucked out with both kids sleeping through our drinks. Mrs. Sip and I shared servings of their Priorities DDH Hazy Double IPA and Just a Phase Saison. Afterwards, we put together a tall can four-pack to go, including the two we just drank and also The Hardest Part West Coast Pale Ale and Dazed and Cocofuzed Dark Pilsner. This company keeps pumping out neat beers, just as quickly as I can try them all.

Empty Beer

Last Friday, I took a day off work to take Baby Sip to his four-month doctor’s appointment and since we’d be in Vancouver for that, Mrs. Sip and I figured we might as well hit a few breweries. We started at the R&B Ale & Pizza House, where I had an amazing Pulled Pork Pizza, paired with a very good Out Fer A Ripa Rye IPA. Mrs. Sip had a Caprese Salad and flight (Stay In Your Vancouver Special IPA, Raven Cream Ale, Hipster Haze IPA and Sour Patch Dudes) for her meal. We also had a taster of their Camouflage Is Not A Colour and a charity beer they had just tapped for serving. Afterwards, we ventured down the street for a quick sleeve at Electric Bicycle Brewing, selecting the It’s No Game Hazy IPA.

Yesterday, a drive to Mrs. Sip’s office turned into beers at Steel & Oak Brewing, enjoying their newly-constructed patio, set up to continue serving up suds during this pandemic. I really enjoyed my Surefire Raspberry Tangerine Pale Ale (taking a tall can four-pack home as well), while Mrs. Sip was really into her Smoked Honey Dopplebock. We also grabbed a bottle of the recently-released Otago Saison to go.

Looks like we’re well stocked to beat this heat we’ve been experience lately. If August shapes up anything like July ended up being, I greatly look forward to the next set of adventures!

New Hampshire – Gundalow

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we travel to New Hampshire to see what the Granite State is all about. As one of the first American colonies, there’s a lot of history to delve through, so let’s get right to it:

Motto: “Live Free or Die” – …Hard? Would that not be the coolest State Motto ever?

Food: Boiled Dinner – corned beef with cabbage and root vegetables, such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, and beets – is big in New Hampshire, as well as all of New England. Any leftovers are repurposed the next morning as a diced and fried breakfast hash.

Drink: The Squamscot Beverages soda company has been around since 1863. The company is still based out of their original building and use the slogan: “Experience the Past… One Sip at a Time.” Unique flavours in their lineup include Maple Cream, Half and Half (lemon and grapefruit) and Fruit Bowl (fruit punch).

NH Motto

Site to See: Until 2003, one of New Hampshire’s top attractions was the Old Man of the Mountain, which was a collection of five granite ledges that made the profile of a face. Sadly, the Old Man collapsed due to repeated freezing and thawing. The Old Man appears on New Hampshire licence plates, their Statehood Quarter and state route signs. Today, there is an Old Man memorial used to recreate the original.

Street: Two other New Hampshire highlights, White Mountain National Forest and Mount Washington, each have their own notable route. Kancamagus Highway, which winds through White Mountain National Forest, is said to be one of the best areas to see New Hampshires famous fall foliage, while the Mount Washington Auto Road is the oldest manmade tourist attraction.

TV Show: Adult animated comedy, Assy McGee, is set in Exeter. There, the buttocks detective (yes, you read that right) solved crimes with human partner Don Sanchez for two seasons and 20 episodes. The series was a parody of the buddy cop genre. Most main voices for the show were done by Larry Murphy, who also plays Teddy on Bob’s Burgers.

Movie: The Jumanji franchise of films is set in New Hampshire. The first film, starring Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, was also filmed in Keene. When news of Williams’ death became public, a makeshift memorial to the actor was set up underneath the Parrish Shoes sign, which had remained on a building since the movie’s production.

McGee

Book/Author: Poet Robert Frost earned his first of a record four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry with his book New Hampshire: A Poem with Notes and Grace Notes. The Robert Frost Farm, in Derry, is where he wrote much of his most celebrated work, including Tree at My Window and Mending Wall. Also celebrating the writer’s legacy is The Frost Place, in Franconia.

Fictional Character: Professor Robert Langdon, the symbology expert protagonist from The Da Vinci Code series of books and movies, is a New Hampshirite. Author Dan Brown is a New Hampshire native himself and created the character as an alter ego, giving Langdon a matching birthdate, hometown (Exeter) and school, among other qualities.

Fictional City: Mandrake Falls is where the story of Longfellow Deeds (from the film Mr. Deeds) begins. The character runs his own pizza joint, while also trying to write the perfect Hallmark greeting card. When a substantial fortune is left to Deeds by his distant granduncle, the small town man is launched into a different world.

Actor/Actress: The Sandman, Adam Sandler, was raised in Manchester, before going onto becoming one of the most bankable film stars ever. A few of Sandler’s films have been set in New Hampshire, including the animated Eight Crazy Nights. While some may have grown tired of his childish act, Sandler has remained popular and excelled in dramatic roles.

Robert Langdon

Song: Granite State of Mind by The Super Secret Project is a parody of Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind. It is a clever spoof of the popular ode to New York, with many points from this article coming up in the song. While some shots are taken at the state, the tune seems to come from a place of love for it, as well.

Band/Musician: Ronnie James Dio was born in Portsmouth. He is famous for founding and fronting a number of heavy metal bands, most notably Black Sabbath. Perhaps his greatest contribution to music and the world, in general, was popularizing the devil horns hand gesture, by using it during performances.

People: Alan Shepard, born in Derry, was the first American in space. He later returned on another mission, becoming the fifth man on the moon. Sadly, New Hampshire’s involvement in space also includes Christa McAuliffe, who was supposed to be the first teacher sent into orbit, but was part of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, which occurred 73 seconds after liftoff.

Animal: Colossus the Gorilla, lived at Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, in Hudson, for approximately 20 years, between the late 1960’s to 1987. Colossus, at over 500 pounds, was one of the largest gorillas ever in captivity and was included as a presidential candidate for a New Hampshire primary election, resulting in his inclusion in a set of trading cards for that event.

Invention: A necessary evil, which nearly every single person around the world uses, the alarm clock was invented by Levi Hutchins, of Concord, in 1787. His creation could only go off at 4am each morning, the time he had to get up and start his day. 60 years later, a mechanical alarm clock was finally created and patented by a French inventor.

Crime: In 2017, the previously unsolved Bear Brook Murders were attributed to Terry Peder Rasmussen (aka the Chameleon Killer), who died in prison, in 2010. The crime was uncovered with the discovery of four skeletons (two in 1985 and two more in 2000) in Bear Brook State Park. The victims were identified as a mother and her two daughters, along with another unidentified young girl, linked to Rasmussen by DNA.

Law: New Hampshire is the only state that has no law requiring adults to wear seatbelts in vehicles. That takes “live free or die” to a whole new level.

Sports Team: Another state with no professional teams; therefore, the NCAA programs of Dartmouth College (the Big Green) and the University of New Hampshire (the Wildcats) are the top sporting attractions. Mount Washington also provides the setting for annual bicycle and running races.

Alarm Clock

Athlete: Two Olympic legends hail from New Hampshire, swimmer Jenny Thompson and skier Bode Miller. Thompson won 12 medals, eight of them gold, over four Olympics. Miller won six Olympic medals over his career, including gold at the 2010 Vancouver games, to go along with four World Championship golds and 33 World Cup wins.

Famous Home: American patriotic character, Uncle Sam, was based on meat supplier Samuel Wilson. Wilson’s childhood home, dubbed Uncle Sam’s House, can be found in Mason. The property is now privately owned, but is noted by a historical marker telling Wilson’s story.

Urban Legend: In 1961, New Hampshire residents Barney and Betty Hill claimed they were abducted by aliens. This was the first widely known American case of alien abduction. The spot where the couple claimed to have been abducted from, near Lincoln, has been highlighted with a historical marker. Also, Salem is home to America’s Stonehenge, also known as Mystery Hill.

Museum: Funspot, in Laconia, is home to the American Classic Arcade Museum. Combined, they comprise the world’s largest arcade, according to Guinness World Records. The museum portion exhibits close to 200 arcade games, all released prior to 1990. There’s also a Museum of Dumb Guy Stuff, in Portsmouth, which might as well hold pieces of my lifetime collection.

Uncle Sam

Firsts: New Hampshire holds the first primary election of every presidential election cycle and has a law in place to ensure they always remain first. Originally held on the second Tuesday of March, moves by both the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as other states, have required New Hampshire to move their primary as far up as January 8.

Company: The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the oldest continuously published periodical in the U.S., is published by New Hampshire’s Yankee Publishing. Since 1792, the guide has provided farmers with weather forecasts, planting charts, recipes and other info, including predictions on what will occur over the next year, in areas such as fashion and technology.

Events: New Hampshire played a great role in the American Revolution, with patriots removing powder and guns from Fort William and Fort Mary. Later, they inspired other patriots to fight, despite losing the Battle of Bunker Hill. They were the first colony to declare independence from England and set up an independent government, which resulted in them having the first vote towards the Declaration of Independence.

Miscellaneous: Nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb, was created by Sarah Josepha Hale, of Newport. The teacher and activist would go on to a lengthy career as editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book. 47 years after Mary Had a Little Lamb was published, it became the first recording by Thomas Edison, using his newly-created phonograph.

Gundalow

Gundalow

  • 2.5 oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Cranberry Liqueur
  • 0.5 oz Triple Sec
  • Splash of Lime Juice
  • Garnish with Cranberries

There is a second Gundalow recipe, using Apple Brandy, bitters and sugar. The drink is named after a cargo ship that was often found in New England waters, dating back to the 1800’s. Also, the first known time the word ‘cocktail’ was published in America was in the 1803 The Farmer’s Cabinet, published in Amherst.

Nevada – Casino

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we try our luck in the entertainment capital of the country, Nevada. Mrs. Sip and I have travelled to the Silver State many times, even enjoying attractions off the Las Vegas Strip. Time to roll the dice and see what comes up:

Motto: “All for Our Country” – Such selflessness!

Food: While today, casino buffets offer a culinary delight of worldwide dishes, the early days of these all-you-can-eat feasts were a little different. Las Vegas revolutionized the concept, with the first ever offered at the El Rancho Vegas (also the first casino on the Strip). Dubbed the Buckaroo Buffet, it offered a mix of hot and cold dishes, 24 hours a day, for a whopping $1.

Drink: One of the most unique cocktails I’ve ever had was the Verbena, created by head mixologist, Mariena Mercer, of The Cosmopolitan, in Las Vegas. You begin by chewing a Sichuan flower and then move onto the margarita-like cocktail. With each sip, as the flower takes effect, you become a super taster, thanks to your taste buds being altered.

Buffet

Site to See: Outside of Las Vegas, top attractions include tourist towns such as Reno (‘The Biggest Little City in the World’) and Lake Tahoe, as well as sites such as the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Great Basin National Park, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and Valley of Fire State Park. However, what happens there, doesn’t stay there.

Street: One can basically travel the world while walking the Las Vegas Strip (aka Las Vegas Boulevard), with hotels themed after destinations such as Paris, Monaco, Egypt, New York, Venice, and Brazil. Other highlights include the Stratosphere, the tallest structure in the western U.S., and a multitude of dining, drinking and entertainment options. There’s also the Fremont Street Experience, for a taste of old Vegas.

TV Show: I have to go with CSI: Las Vegas in this category for creating the police forensic procedural genre. The show ran for 15 seasons and 337 episodes and was so popular, it spawned spinoffs set in Miami and New York City, as well as a Cyber Crimes series. Honourable mentions go to Reno 911! and Mike Tyson Mysteries for their characters and comedy.

Movie: A tough choice here, as I love The Hangover for its wild and hilarious story. I also enjoy a good heist film, with Ocean’s 11 (the Rat Pack original and the George Clooney remake) ranking among my favourites. Lastly, I can’t leave out Vegas Vacation, for the many lines that have become part of the Sip Family’s vernacular.

CSI

Book/Author: A few other notable Las Vegas films were adapted from books, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson), Leaving Las Vegas (a semi-autobiographical novel by John O’Brien), and Casino (based on the non-fiction Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi).

Fictional Character: I’m surprised at how few options were available for this category. I’ll go with Balrog from the Street Fighter video game franchise. A former boxer, the character was based on Mike Tyson, even being named M. Bison in the Japanese version of the games. Due to legal concerns, some characters were rotated for the North American ports.

Fictional City: The movie Tremors, starring Kevin Bacon, takes place in the fictional town of Perfection. Things are far from perfect, though, as giant sandworm-type creatures are attacking the town in a hunt for human flesh. The movie spawned a franchise of five direct-to-video sequels, one prequel and a TV series, which lasted one season and 13 episodes.

Actor/Actress: Jena Malone was born in Sparks, with her most notable role being Johanna Mason from The Hunger Games franchise. Other stars from Nevada include Dawn Wells (Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island), Rutina Wesley (Tara on True Blood), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia on Buffy/Angel), and Thomas Ian Nicholas from the American Pie series.

Tremors

Song: Most songs about Nevada focus on Las Vegas and nothing can get you into the Sin City mood more than Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas. Presley was practically an honourary citizen of the state, performing 636 straight sold out shows (two shows a night, seven days a week), as one of the original residency acts. Viva Las Vegas was recorded for Presley’s 1964 film of the same name.

Band/Musician: Rock band, The Killers, were formed in Las Vegas, in 2001. The quartet has sold more than 28 million records and are still going strong today. The group is known for songs like Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me. Special shout out to fellow rockers, Imagine Dragons (also formed in Las Vegas), for their song Radioactive being the longest Billboard Hot 100 chart topper ever.

People: Betty Willis may not be a household name, but the artist born in Overton, created one of the most recognizable pieces in Nevada, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. Willis did not trademark her design, instead gifting it to the city. She passed away, in 2015, at the age of 91.

Animal: Nevada has a long history of animal performers. Most famous among them were the tigers and lions part of the Siegfried & Roy act at the Mirage. Sadly, one of those tigers, named Montecore, attacked Roy during one show in 2003, ending the duo’s successful 13-year run at the hotel. There was also Bertha the Elephant, who performed at the Nugget, in Sparks, for over 30 years.

Las Vegas

Invention: While operating a tailor shop in Reno, Jacob Davis invented blue jeans, while making a stronger pair of working pants for a customer’s husband. Davis later partnered with Levi Strauss, who was providing the fabric for the jeans, to apply for a patent on the creation. As a frequent wearer of blue jeans, I thank both gentlemen.

Crime: In 2017, the world was shocked by a mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. Nevadan Stephen Paddock fired more than 1,000 rounds from the Mandalay Bay resort onto the nearby Route 91 Harvest music festival. He killed 58 people and wounded 438 others, with injuries totalling 869 in the panicked aftermath. Paddock committed suicide following the massacre.

Law: Nevada is my kind of state. They have a law that makes sure public intoxication can’t be made illegal and another law that allows the sale of booze to occur 24 hours a day from bars, restaurants and stores.

Sports Team: Nevada was devoid of professional teams until 2017, when the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL as an expansion franchise. Similarly, should an NFL season be played this year, the Oakland Raiders will officially relocate to Las Vegas. The city is also the epicenter of boxing and mixed martial arts cards, host to numerous memorable fights.

Jeans

Athlete: Tennis star, Andre Agassi, was born in Las Vegas and lives there to this day. Agassi became a pop culture icon in the early 90’s, thanks to his success on the court, good looks, and high-profile relationships with Barbra Streisand and Brooke Shields. Agassi won a total of eight majors, as well as a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, in Atlanta.

Famous Home: The Underground House, in Las Vegas, looks like a normal residence, until you realize it is constructed 26 feet below the surface and doubles as a bomb shelter. The property includes a home, yard, pool, spa, trees, guest accommodation, BBQ, and fountain, as well as outdoorsy murals. In 2019, it was listed to sell for $18 million, although it sold in 2015 for only $1.15 million.

Urban Legend: Area 51’s existence wasn’t confirmed by government until 1990, inspiring a number of conspiracy theories. These include the housing of UFOs and alien lifeforms, as well as experiments involving weather control, time travel and teleportation. Route 375, leading up to the facility, was renamed the Extraterrestrial Highway, in 1996.

Museum: Mrs. Sip and I have visited and fully recommend both the Neon Museum and Mob Museum. The Neon Museum has a “boneyard” of signs from the history of Las Vegas, while the Mob Museum documents the city’s affiliation with organized crime. Another museum we would like to check out in the future is the Pinball Hall of Fame.

Underground House

Firsts: Nevada was the first state to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment, which barred the government and states from denying people the right to vote, based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Nevada is also the only state to legalize prostitution, although it is technically still illegal in area like Las Vegas and Reno, due to their larger populations.

Company: The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the leader in mixed martial arts action, is headquartered in Las Vegas. Since its inception in 1993, the promotion has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but has grown from a one-night tough man tournament to a global phenomenon. UFC President, Dana White, is now among the most recognizable people in sports.

Events: When Nevada Governor, Fred Balzar, signed Assembly Bill 98, legalizing gambling in the state, in 1931, he paved the way for Nevada to become the place it is today. The same year, the Pair-O-Dice Club became the first casino to open in Nevada, with the resort being renamed The Frontier later, which is how most remember it. It closed in 2007, with the property now being owned by Wynn Resorts.

Miscellaneous: I couldn’t wrap this article without mentioning the September 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, which occurred in Las Vegas. Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days after the drive-by shooting, at the age of 25. The murder has remained unsolved, despite speculation of gang and rap feud ties, drawing much intrigue from fans and filmmakers alike.

Casino

Casino

  • 1.5 oz Gin
  • 0.5 oz Maraschino Liqueur
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Dash of Orange Bitters
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

This International Bartenders Association official cocktail is perfect for Nevada. It dates back to at least 1917, when it first appeared in a recipe guide. It’s funny how many drinks for this project use a combination of Gin, Maraschino Liqueur and Lemon or Lime Juice. I will say, this was a tasty blend of that formula.

Nebraska – The Nebraskan

Posted on by
Reply

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we journey to Nebraska, where the farming is as good as it gets. This had bred nicknames such as Cornhusker State and Beef State, which sounds like the makings of a good meal. Let’s start exploring:

Motto: “Equality before the law” – How’s that working out for you?

Food: The Reuben Sandwich was invented at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha. Comprised of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian/Thousand Island dressing, between slices of rye bread, the meal has become a favourite of the Sip Advisor. Some origin stories have the sandwich being created in New York, but I’ll give this one to Nebraska.

Drink: Bringing smiles to children everywhere for nearly 100 years, Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska by Edwin Perkins in 1927. Originally available in six flavours (cherry, grape, lemon-lime, orange, raspberry, and strawberry), it has become the State Soft Drink. The Hastings Museum has a permanent exhibit called Kool-Aid: Discover the Dream.

Kool-Aid

Site to See: One of Nebraska’s most notable attractions is Carhenge, a duplication of England’s Stonehenge, but using American vehicles to replicate the infamous stones. Other car-based art installments are also viewable at the site. Created by Jim Reinders, the work is highlighted in the documentary, Carhenge: Genius or Junk?

Street: The Old Market Historic District, in Omaha, is notable for its brick-paved streets, which are still used by horse-drawn carriages. Restaurants, art galleries and shopping options make up the tenancy of the area. In 2016, a ruptured gas line caused an explosion in the Old Market, destroying a 100-year-old building and injuring numerous people.

TV Show: Most TV shows set in Nebraska haven’t faired well. One, Bless This Mess, did last two seasons, before being cancelled this past May. The series starred Dax Shepard and Lake Bell in a modern take on Green Acres, with a couple moving from New York to a farm in fictional Bucksnort, after inheriting the property and deciding to stay.

Movie: Films have done better when set in Nebraska, including one of the Sip Advisor’s all-time favourites. Caddyshack, the goofy golf classic, starring legends like Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase, has the Bushwood Country Club based in the state. While the sequel was a flop, the original has so many quotable lines and memorable scenes.

Caddyshack

Book/Author: Writer Nicholas Sparks was born in Omaha. His works, of the romantic drama genre, include The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Message in a Bottle, and Dear John. A total of 11 of his books have been adapted into films, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars. Sparks has had 15 novels top the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Fictional Character: Penny Hofstadter, the across-the-hall hottie from The Big Bang Theory, is originally from Nebraska. Giving hope to nerds everywhere, she eventually dates and marries uber nerd Leonard. Played by Kaley Cuoco, Penny moves to California with dreams of becoming an actress. She may not have found the career she wanted, but she did find love.

Fictional City: Stephen King’s Children of the Corn (short story and film series) takes place in the town of Gatlin, a place you wouldn’t really want to find yourself, particularly if you’re an adult. Under the guidance of “He Who Walks Behind the Rows,” the children begin ritualistically sacrificing adults, hoping for a bountiful corn harvest.

Actor/Actress: Movie legends Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda were born in Omaha and Grand Island, respectively. Connecting the two, Brando’s mother gave Fonda acting lessons at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Other notable stars from the state include Fred Astaire, Nick Nolte and Hilary Swank.

Nicholas Sparks

Song: Bruce Springsteen has a song and album called Nebraska, but the song is about a spree killer sentenced to death, while the album is full of tracks about characters with not much to live for. Therefore, we’ll go with State Song, Beautiful Nebraska, for this category. Lyrics include, “We are so proud of this state where we live, There is no place that has so much to give.”

Band/Musician: The consensus seems to be that the best band from Nebraska is Bright Eyes, although I’ve never heard of the indie rock group. Formed in Omaha, 2004 was a big year for the band, touring with Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M., and filling the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales chart, with songs Lua and Take It Easy (Love Nothing).

People: Nebraska was the birthplace for a future president and vice-president, as well as the founder of a religion. President Gerald Ford and VP Dick Cheney were born in Omaha and Lincoln, respectively, while Church of Scientology forefather L. Ron Hubbard hailed from Tilden.

Animal: While mammoth fossils have been found all across Nebraska, the largest and most famous was uncovered in Lincoln, in 1922. Nicknamed Archie, the skeleton can be seen at the University of Nebraska State Museum. Mammoths are the State Fossil of Nebraska and a bronze statue of Archie is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hubbard

Invention: Two of Nebraska’s greatest creations allow users to cut corners. TV Dinners, first made commercially successful by Nebraskan company, Swanson, helps folks avoid having to cook full meals for themselves and others. Meanwhile, CliffsNotes, developed by Clifton Hillegass of the Nebraska Book Company, allows students to prepare for tests without completing the source material.

Crime: Charlie Starkweather was only 19 when he went on a murder spree, killing 10 people in Nebraska and Wyoming. He was accompanied by his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Fugate. Starkweather was sentenced to death for his crimes and was executed by electric chair. Fugate served a 17-year sentence, despite claiming she was a hostage. The spree inspired movies such as Kalifornia and Natural Born Killers.

Law: In Omaha, sneezing in church is illegal, while across the state, if a child burps during a service, their parent(s) could be arrested. A rebellious teenager could cause a lot of trouble with a simple bodily function.

Sports Team: With no professional teams to support, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers are the top game in the state. In fact, home football games make the stadium the third largest population in Nebraska. Omaha has also been home to the College World Series for NCAA baseball since 1950.

TV Dinners

Athlete: Professional wrestler, Gorgeous George (real name George Wagner), is my pick here, not for his athletic abilities, but for his influence on sports and athletes to come after him. Wagner was born in Butte and revolutionized the wrestling industry as the first villainous character. George would be influential to many athletes and entertainers, Muhammad Ali, Bob Dylan and James Brown among them.

Famous Home: Scout’s Rest Ranch is the former home of William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody, who first promoted his Wild West Shows in Nebraska, beginning in 1883. These shows would later feature such celebrities as Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane. The ranch can be found at the Buffalo Bill State Historical Park in North Platte, which functions as a living history museum.

Urban Legend: Hatchet House (formerly Portal School) can be found in Papillion. The story goes that a teacher one day snapped and decapitated her entire class, leaving their heads on their desks. She then took their hearts to what is now known as Heartbeat Bridge, throwing them into the water below. Driving over the bridgeboards makes sounds that resemble beating hearts.

Museum: The National Museum of Roller Skating, in Lincoln, has a massive collection of skates, wheels and other items, dating back to 1819. Exhibits include Inline Skating, Artistic Skating, Roller Hockey, Speed Skating, and Roller Derby. Admission is free, but memberships with special perks are also available.

roller-skating

Firsts: Arbor Day was first celebrated in Nebraska City, on April 10, 1872. The brainchild of J. Sterling Morton, it’s estimated that one million trees were planted across Nebraska that day. This earned the state the nickname Tree Planter’s State for some time. The holiday was later spread to other parts of the world by Birdsey Northrop of the American Forestry Association.

Company: Berkshire Hathaway is headquartered in Omaha, founded by Nebraskan Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world and among the most savvy investors. The conglomerate owns brands such as GEICO, Duracell, and Dairy Queen, while also investing heavily in Kraft Heinz, American Express, Coca-Cola, and Apple, among other businesses.

Events: Also headquartered in Omaha is the Union Pacific Railroad, which was founded in 1862. From this home base, the railroad connected the country through miles and miles of tracks, becoming the first transcontinental line in America. Today, grain, corn, sand, fertilizer, and coal are among the top items shipped into and out of the state.

Miscellaneous: Despite being a landlocked state, Nebraska has its own navy. The state has had some fun with the concept, appointing admirals such as Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Gates, Big Bird, Bill Murray, and many others to the position for promoting the “good life of the state of Nebraska.”

The Nebraskan

The Nebraskan

  • 1 oz Vodka
  • Top with Ginger Beer
  • Splash of Sweet Corn Milk
  • Dash of Simple Syrup
  • Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Pinch of Black Pepper

Given its association with the state, I wanted to go with a Kool-Aid-based cocktail, but the most notable one has already appeared on this site. So, I went with The Nebraskan, which is quite the interesting blend of ingredients, highlighted by corn, perfect for the Cornhusker State.